Smoking cessation practices to be expanded for cancer patients

(GNB - Fredericton) January 19, 2016 - The New Brunswick
Cancer Network, in conjunction with the Horizon Health Network,
will expand support to help cancer patients quit smoking and other
forms of tobacco use to improve their cancer treatments and
recovery.

"Tobacco use reduces the effectiveness of many cancer
treatments and increases the likelihood of complications and death
in cancer patients," said Dr. Eshwar Kumar, co-chief executive
officer of the New Brunswick Cancer Network. "Evidence suggests
that the risk of dying from cancer could be lowered by 30 to 40 per
cent by quitting smoking at the time of diagnosis."

The project will see the New Brunswick Cancer Network
provide leadership to implement sustainable smoking cessation
practices as a standard of care for cancer patients across the
Horizon Health Network. The health network's Centre of Excellence
for Clinical Smoking Cessation will provide training and program
facilitation to integrate evidence-based clinical smoking cessation
practices across cancer care clinics.

"These services are rarely offered to cancer patients in
cancer care settings, despite indications that cancer patients want
support to quit," said Jean Daigle, VP, Community, with
Horizon."We look forward to this partnership to
expand support to cancer patients in quitting smoking in New
Brunswick."

New Brunswick is one of eight provinces and territories to
receive funding from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to
build or expand smoking cessation programs embedded within cancer
care.

"It's never too late to quit," said Dr. Heather Bryant,
vice-president of Cancer Control at the partnership. "Cancer
patients can be highly motivated to give up smoking, but they need
support. This funding will allow the New Brunswick Cancer Network,
in partnership with the Horizon Health Network, to implement the
highly successful Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation in outpatient
cancer sites."

The New Brunswick Cancer Network plans to use the
experience of the project to facilitate the eventual implementation
of evidence-based tobacco cessation practices into cancer care
settings across the province.